KOTTAYAM: As the Nilambur by-election is over, the Congress state unit is gearing up for a significant organisational overhaul as part of preparing itself for the upcoming local body elections at the end of the year and the assembly elections next year.
As part of it, KPCC president Sunny Joseph and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan will leave for New Delhi on Tuesday. According to sources, they will hold a meeting with AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunsi, and general secretary (organisation), K C Venugopal, on Wednesday.
The revamp is following a report submitted by Dasmunsi, who recommended a restructuring to strengthen the party ahead of crucial elections.
As the AICC has already appointed new KPCC president and working presidents, the leadership is planning to re-organise the state committee with new office-bearers, including vice-presidents, general secretaries and secretaries.
Change of guard in DCCs is also anticipated as part of the KPCC revamp. The KPCC leadership has already begun compiling a primary list of potential candidates to be submitted to the AICC general secretaries during the Delhi visit of the KPCC president and Leader of Opposition.
With local body and assembly elections nearing, the KPCC is learnt to have decided not to remove any existing office-bearers to avoid any dissatisfactions among party leaders. Instead, the KPCC will be reorganised by adding more office-bearers. “The leadership doesn’t wish to alter the smooth functioning of the existing system. Rather it wants to address the concerns and dissatisfaction of other leaders,” said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
Additionally, the KPCC also wants to ensure communal balance during the revamp. Earlier, the AICC made Sunny Joseph as the KPCC president to address the long-standing concerns of the Catholic Church regarding its inadequate representation in leadership roles.
The Church has also expressed a desire for the inclusion of additional leaders in key positions, such as vice-presidents. Sources indicate that the Syro-Malabar Church is particularly interested in securing representation from Central Travancore within the leadership as Sunny Joseph is from Kannur.
Earlier, the Ezhava community had voiced its dissatisfaction regarding the removal of K Sudhakaran from the position of KPCC president. In response, the KPCC leadership is keen to address their concerns also.
Although group politics have almost subsided in state Congress, the KPCC is expected to take into account the recommendations of senior leaders such as V M Sudheeran, Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Benny Behanan. Following a vetting of the AICC leadership, the restructuring process is likely to commence in the state shortly after the state-wide meetings of the KPCC being attended by Sunny Joseph, Satheesan, UDF convener Adoor Prakash and three working presidents, A P Anil Kumar, P C Vishnunadh and Shafi Parambil, which will be concluded on July 17.
It is learnt that a majority of DCC presidents will also be replaced during the revamp, as complaints are rampant that DCCs are inactive, especially from Kottayam to Thiruvana-nthapuram.
new paths
Leadership planning to re-organise the state committee with new office-bearers
Change of guard in DCCs is also anticipated
KPCC leadership already compiling a primary list of potential candidates